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How to find a cheap apartment in NYC

New York City is one of the most expensive cities to live in, real estate and taxes are beyond affordable even in once considered less desirable areas such as Harlem and Spanish Harlem, "El Barrio".

Many New Yorkers are heading uptown trying to find affordable housing in Manhattan, sooner or later even these areas will be priced out eventually with so many going uptown and landlords increasing rents based on demand.

Many New Yorkers are transplants many from around the world or many from small towns looking to advance their careers and make their way. Many new comers from small towns decide to rent in the city usually rooming with a room mate or two and then after establishing themselves; move out to the suburbs and then commute. Many foreign and low income newcomers know the city is just too expensive so they look for areas in the outer boroughs such as the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. In the Bronx depending upon the location, you can get a three bedroom apartment for less than 1200 a month. A studio apartment in a nice neighborhood could go for as much as 900 a month. Many who live outside the city may think this is expensive, but if you rent within Manhattan, you can be paying as much as 1800 for a studio in not such as great neighborhood and for far less space. If you get a two bedroom or three bedroom apartment around the upper eastside around 79th to 86th area you could be paying as much as 2500- 3000 a month or even more.

The city has taken many measures to try to find affordable housing for its growing population and is advocating outer borough growth by building new housing in neighborhoods where empty lots once were. The city offers programs for new home ownership and incentives such as 10,000 towards down payment assistance. The city offers lotteries for affordable apartments some in the NYC area but many in the Bronx and in Brooklyn. Some of these lotteries allow for permanent home ownership as well; not just rentals through HUD or HPD "housing Preservation Department"; check on the HPD website and find out what lotteries are available. These lotteries are advertised daily in the New York Daily News, you usually have to write to get the application sent to you and there is usually a dead line date the application must be received by. If information is needed on how to get affordable housing or if interested in finding information on these programs visit the nyc.gov site.

Learn more about this author, A.R. Cruz.
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